Mechanical Thrombectomy a first for Pindara Private Hospital
Pindara Celebrates Volunteers during National Volunteers Week
Pindara Private Hospital has a wonderful band of
volunteers who make a significant contribution to
the hospital through their service each year.
This contribution was recently celebrated at a
special lunch honouring those who give their time
so selflessly each week.
During the lunch, Pindara’s eldest volunteer,
93-year-old Lloyd Jeffree and Pindara’s longest
serving volunteer Elizabeth (Beth) May were both
recognised for their contribution to the volunteer
program and the hospital as a whole.
Both Beth and Lloyd have long histories giving
their time as volunteers, not just at Pindara,
but with other organisations throughout their
lifetimes.
Beth was a volunteer for the Red Cross and
Westmead Hospital in Sydney before moving to
the Gold Coast with her late husband 18 years
ago.
Lloyd too has a long history of service, starting
his volunteering career as a Japanese airplane
spotter at Sydney University when he was just 16
before joining the Australian Air Force himself.
Once he returned from the war, Lloyd was an
active volunteer with Legacy, working with wives
and children of ex-servicemen.
The ‘Friends of Pindara’ volunteers provide
an invaluable service to both the hospital staff
and patients and their contribution is greatly
appreciated.
2017
International Midwives and
Nurses Week at Pindara
Private Hospital
During the month of May each year,
we celebrate International Nurses and
Midwives Week, focusing on the important
contribution of both midwives and nurses in
our community.
This year, Pindara Private Hospital
celebrated International Day of the Midwife
by hosting high tea for the midwives
and new mums and bubs in the Pindara
Maternity Ward. The high tea was a chance
to recognise the dedication and partnership
of both midwives and the families they care
for throughout their birth experience.
The event also kicked off celebrations for
Nurses and Midwives Week, which ran from
May 05 - 12, with the theme “Midwives,
Mothers and Families: Partners for Life”.
Midwives everywhere understand that by
working in partnership with women and
their families they can support them to make
better decisions about what they need in
order to have a safe and fulfilling birth.
To round out the week of celebrations, on
May 12, Pindara celebrated International
Nurses Day with a designer cupcake
morning tea. A delicious array of cupcakes
was delivered to each ward so that a special
morning tea could be shared by nurses,
their patients and other members of staff.
International Nurses Day recognises the
important and valuable contribution nurses
make through the care of their patients
each day. The hard work, dedication and
care demonstrated by the Pindara Private
Hospital nursing staff is remarkable, and
International Nurses Day provides a great
opportunity to reflect and be thankful for
their service.
A lifesaving mechanical thrombectomy (the
physical removal of a clot in the circulatory
system) was successfully performed at Pindara
recently by interventional neuroradiologist Dr Hal
Rice.
The procedure was performed on a patient who
arrived at the hospital suffering a stroke, and who
was unable to receive other types of treatment due
to previously existing health issues.
Every second counts when treating stroke
patients so once the course of action was
confirmed it was essential to perform the
procedure as quickly as possible.
Previously, the patient would have needed to
be transferred to another facility to undergo the
procedure, however Pindara's recent investment
in Pindara's hybrid theatre and technology
meant the mechanical thrombectomy could be
undertaken at Pindara, saving precious time in the
patient’s life.
The mechanical thrombectomy itself was
performed in just 10 minutes and the patient
was able to return home within two days of
undergoing the procedure, as his recovery
progressed without complication.
Dr Hal Rice and Dr Letitia de Villiers in the Hybrid Theatre
Beth May and Lloyd Jeffree
Midwives Keri and Natasha with the Gentle family
10 Pindara Magazine 2017